On the agenda was "Code of Conduct Discussion," and Mr. Lavigne led off the agenda item by citing both the town charter and the selectmen's Code of Conduct, which was adopted in 2005.

Mr. Lavigne said he had received written complaints from two selectmen after their Oct. 7 meeting. He did not specify the nature of the complaints.

"Are we talking about last May?" Mr. Ferguson said.

"At our last meeting, you accused three other members of the board of not knowing what they were talking about," Mr. Lavigne said. "The people of this town deserve better."

"I am not going to be belittled by this board," Mr. Ferguson said. "39.44 percent of the water we took in is missing."

Mr. Ferguson has repeatedly raised the issue of unaccounted-for water as part of his selectmen's miscellaneous agenda items, but the board and town manager Jacquelyn Kelly have not looked into the matter to his satisfaction.

"Keep your hammer to yourself," Mr. Ferguson said, after Mr. Lavigne ruled him out of order. "I'm not going to be attacked."

Selectman Anthony Renzoni said he had had similar issues with Mr. Ferguson earlier this year when he was chairman, and shared copies of a letter he sent to Mr. Ferguson regarding his behavior at selectmen's meetings.

"I suggest that his behavior will not be fixed by this discussion," Mr. Renzoni said.

Mr. Lavigne said that he would report Mr. Ferguson for an ethics violation if he made unproven accusations against members of the board.

"Well, you're a heavy-handed chairman," Mr. Ferguson said.

In other business, the board unanimously voted not to exercise its right of first refusal for a 0.62-acre parcel on Bullard Street that has a forestry conservation restriction.